The Other Side of the Gate
by EmmyBmon
Summary: All the humunculus have been destroyed... or so they thought.  What happens when a young girl is used to help re open the gate and she is pulled through as well?  OOC, AU, based kind of after the movie, but with some changes.
1. Chapter 1

Everything around me looked clean and sterile. A list popped into my brain of the possible places I could be. I certainly wasn't at home, and taking a better look around I wasn't even sure I was in the same state anymore. Everything had a very old time feel to it, and looked like it was out of a book. A history textbook. The door opened to reveal two men in blue outfits. I know no better word to use than outfit. It looked like a dress, but the structure made me want to say military. But it wasn't anything like I'd seen before. They both stopped dead in their tracks, staring at me.

"Good, you're awake. Fullmetal said it would take you longer to wake up. I will be pleased to tell him he was wrong yet again." They walked towards me. The outfits were borderline dresses. But neither man seemed like the tranny type to me. "My name is Colonel Roy Mustang. And this is Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes." I looked at both of them. Still looked like dresses to me. "We'd like to ask you a few questions." They both pulled up chairs and sat next to me. "Name?"

"Lor Haflinger." I replied. The one with glasses jotted this down.

"Country?" I'm assuming he meant of origin, but he should know since I am answering him with no language barriers.

"United States." They both looked at each other. "America?" I added, unsure if they knew what I meant. They both looked puzzled and I sighed. "Nebraska, United States." This still did not seem to answer their question. "What country are we in?" I asked.

"We are in Amestris." I had been shipped to the funny farm, and this was a test. That had to be the answer. Poor federal funding must be the reason for the out of date furniture. As for their bizarre dress outfits, that must be a costume procured somewhere to trick new patients.

"Ok, sure boys. Now where are the doctors? They shouldn't let you run amok when there are new patients in right?"

"I don't know what you are getting at, but let me tell you one thing. I don't let spies from ANYWHERE waltz in here and talk to me like that. I am the Flame Alchemist. Now start talking kid." This had to be a test, this couldn't be real.

"Alchemy isn't real. Get a grip on life. Now seriously, where are the doctors? Why was I even brought here?" This aggravated him even more and I pushed myself farther away from him.

"You aren't from Xing, that's for sure. Drachma! That's it! How you got past Armstrong is beyond me, but now we know and we can deal with you properly." My eyes grew wide as I realized this man was completely serious about what he was talking about.

"Roy, maybe we should calm down, she doesn't seem like a spy." I liked that man. Hughes was it? Yes, good old four eyes knew what was going on. He seemed sane, quiet, and collected. He would certainly calm his hot headed friend down. "Besides she hasn't even seen a single picture of my darling ELYSIA YET!" Hughes takes a bundle of pictures from his breast pocket and shoves them in my face.

Surely I was in the funny farm, no doubt about it. It was then their loud noise must have brought the attention of someone else, and I was relieved when the door opened. A blonde woman walked in, wearing an identical outfit. Her appearance made both of the stop dead in their tracks, and I soon found out why. She had a gun in her hand. I was suddenly wishing I was back to being accused of being a spy.

"You two need to pull yourselves together. Honestly. I am not here to oversee preschool. I am here to make sure she is not a threat to the city. If she is deemed not a threat she is to be released immediately. We have other things to tend to. Perhaps Colonel, I shall remind you of a stack of paper work that needs to be finished." Hughes giggles at this reminder. "Lt Colonel, let me also remind you that you have an appointment with the Fuehrer today, and you really have no time to waste." Hughes straightened his jacket.

"You are right Lt. Hawkeye, as usual. I'll just be off." He left. Still unsure of where I stood with the other two I played it quiet. My guess was Hawkeye was the real one in charge, and I didn't want her thinking I was any sort of threat.

"Colonel? Have you decided?"

"She isn't making sense. She says she's from somewhere I have never heard of. I think she may be a spy. She will be detained until further notice. As soon as the doctors check her take her away Hawkeye." He left the room. Hawkeye kept her eye on me as she followed out the door. I sat stunned in silence. How would anyone think I'm a spy? Before I could figure out my thoughts a doctor walked in.

"Let's check your vitals." The doctor was soft spoken and I got the feeling he felt bad for me. I stayed quiet, thinking it would be better that way. At least until I found out what was happening. He checked everything in silence as I gazed out of the window. Nothing seemed very different from the cities I am used too. "There. Good to go." His eyes snapped up to mine like he had just said something to offend me. I smiled softly because I knew what he meant. He left the room and Hawkeye returned. I got up and stood next to her, my eyes looking down not at the ground but not meeting her death glare either.

"I'm not sure Colonel Mustang is right about you. I do think there is something different about you, but I'm not sure it is because you're a spy. Just cooperate with us." I nodded and followed her as she led me to the cells. They were very clean and not at all like the dark damp cells I was imagining in my head. She put me in and sighed. "I'm going to talk to Hughes. We'll get this figured out." I just sat on the bed with my legs crossed. What was I to do? I sat in complete silence for a long time. They gave me a small dinner which I kept in my room but didn't feel like touching. I slept sitting up, not moving from my position. I tried to think of what happened to me. I could hardly remember the past few days.

"Lor Haflinger. Please come with me." I looked up to see a blonde man, who reminded me a lot of Hawkeye. He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I jumped up and followed him out. "You didn't eat last night."

"Not hungry sir." My voice sounded so hollow and soft. This was not me. "I'm still confused as to where I am. And why I am here." He glanced back at me, looking hard at my face. He turned back around and we continued on, until we reached a small room. I sat down at the table across from Colonel Mustang. He had his hands folded on the table and was staring at me.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright. Now you claim to be from the United States. I've never heard of this place before. Tell me where it is?"

"It's in North America." I added. He raised an eyebrow. "Below Canada. Above Mexico." I was starting to doubt this man's intelligence. I mean who doesn't know where North America is. He wrote this down and moved on, though I could tell he was still unsure of what I was telling him.

"Alright then, what were you doing before you ended up in the underground city?"

"What are you talking about? All I remember is waking up in that hospital."

"We found you in an underground city. I know for a fact that all entrances to this city were closed off years ago. I need to know how you got in there."

"I told you I don't know." I tried to remember what happened. I know I was walking home from school. Slowly the pieces of the story started to fall together. "I cut through a bad part of town on my way home from school! I knew I shouldn't have, but I was running late. And then this guy jumped down in front of me, I don't know where he came from. And he told me he needed me to complete something. He was creepy, really weird. Something was wrong with him. I turned to run away but he grabbed me and dragged me into this old building." The Colonel looked interested, like this sounded like something he was expecting to hear. "The man told me he had to get home. And he needed me to open something." I stopped, trying to remember the words he used.

"The gate." The Colonel almost whispered. My eyes grew wide.

"Yeah! That's what he told me. In the building there was this weird thing drawn on the floor. I remember him taking a knife out. And then I woke up in the hospital." I paused. "But I don't have any wounds on my body."

"Hang on a moment." He got up and walked to the door. "Hawkeye, you need to get Fullmetal in here ASAP." I heard footsteps and the Colonel turned back and started pacing. "Can you describe this man?" he asked me mid pace. His hands were behind his back and his brow was furrowed in deep thought.

"Uh, he was tall and broad. Dark hair. OH one of his eyes looked really weird. Like it was fake or something." The Colonel stopped dead in his tracks.

"His left eye. Was his left eye white?" I thought back to the fuzzy images for a moment.

"Yes! And it had something on it, like a symbol or a word or something." He looked panicked. There was a knock on the door and I heard a muffled voice.

"I'm not knocking. You woke me up for something Colonel Bastard needed me for, I'm going in!" The door opened to reveal a boy about my age. He was about two inches taller than me, and had long blonde hair in a pony tail. He was not in the weird dress uniform but instead donned a pair of black leather pants, brown belt, and black tank top. He looked at me and then back to the Colonel.

"Good morning Fullmetal. This is Lor Haflinger. She was found in the underground city two days ago." Fullmetal looked at me with wide eyes. "She was laying where the circle had been, and it looked fresh." Another wide eyed look. "She has also just informed me that while she was walking home the other day a dark haired man with a white left eye told her he needed her to get back home through the gate." I was insanely sick of these wide eyed looks. The story was odd, but not together unbelievable.

"Where are you from?" Fullmetal asked me.

"Nebraska. United States."

"Do you know where Munich is?"

"Munich Germany? Yeah, it's not exactly close to me or anything but I know where it is. Why?" Fullmetal looked uneasy about this.

"She's from the other world." All aboard the crazy train. What is this guy talking about? "You come from a world where science advanced instead of alchemy. There is a way to travel between the two worlds, but it's very dangerous and unpredictable. I'm not sure how that man found you, but if he did get back to this world, we are in trouble."

"I'm all for a good prank, but I honestly think this has gone far enough. I want to go home and I'd like to go now."

"Don't believe me?" Fullmetal clapped his hands and touched the table, which started to grow and morph until the top of the table looked like a hand was growing out of it. "How about now?" I was never one to believe in magic, but this was the best trick I've ever seen.

"Good trick." I told him, crossing my arms over my chest. "But I'd still like to go home."

"You don't get it do you? You are not in your world. You are in a different world with no ID, no money, and nowhere to go. You are being detained by the military and you find the nerve to demand to go home? You don't know what it takes to open that gate!"

"I think you are all out of your minds. The man attacked me, I went to the hospital, I am here now. This is not a terribly complicated concept to grasp. Now let me go! Let me call my roommate and have her come get me!" Fullmetal sighed and told the Colonel to get a phone. What they brought me looked like it belonged in my grandparent's house. I warily took the phone off the hook and started to dial.

"I'm sorry, but you must first enter a valid Amestrian phone number." It would have been too much trouble to get a fake phone drug into this whole prank.

"Do you get it yet?" It started to sink in that perhaps I was missing a vital piece of the puzzle. Perhaps something else happened. I'm a big science fiction fan, so this story doesn't seem that horribly farfetched for me. it was then that I broke down. Not one to usually cry, I think it is safe to say that in this situation it is completely acceptable to cry a little. Or perhaps a lot. Even if I was stuck on the crazy train and I wasn't in some other world, I just didn't see my situation changing for a while. My crying must have been unexpected, because both men seemed shocked and out of place. I don't think they knew how to deal with me.

"I'm never going home am I?" I asked the two of them when I was reduced to a red eyed sniffle.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry. I really am." Fullmetal put his hand on my shoulder. "I was once in your world, so I know how hard it will be to get used to this one." I nodded, my ultimate white flag of defeat. I was giving up the theory that I was among crazy people and just going along with what they said. I would like to be released from jail and even if I was still unsure of whether or not they were lying, I would need to play their game to get out of here. "Colonel, what are we going to do?"

"We are going to get her an ID, birth certificate, background story, and some cash. From there she can do what she wants."

"Thank you sir." I said. He smiled.

"No problem. It's the least I can do after locking you up all night." I followed everyone upstairs to Colonel Mustang's office. "So we can use your real name, but we should get a solid story down. One that no one will question." He looked to Hawkeye.

"I think the only thing no one here would question is a family relation to you sir."

"I agree. Cousin? Niece?" He asked me.

"Um, I think cousin would be more believable, since you don't have any siblings." She added. He nodded and started writing it all down.

"Born in the countryside. If anyone asks, just tell them a tiny little town no one has ever heard of and isn't important. Hopefully no one asks you that, since they shouldn't be questioning my cousin!" He smiled and laughed a bit, writing wildly on the paper. He was having far too much fun with this. Fullmetal was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, looking rather depressed. I walked over and sat next to him.

"How do you feel about all this? They make you a new life before they talk to you about finding your way home."

"I wouldn't mind not going home." I told him. This did not please Fullmetal.

"You don't care about your parents? Your siblings? Your friends?" He asked.

"I don't know my parents. I was adopted when I was a baby. I don't have any siblings, and I was homeschooled since we didn't live close to any regular schools. I had a few friends, but no one I would consider a close friend." He leaned back against the chair once more.

"I see." He was now quiet and I felt like I had messed up my only chance at conversation. He looked to be my age, and I was hoping we could have been friends.

"Lor. Come here." I got up and walked back over to Mustang and Hawkeye. He looked rather pleased with himself. "Here, I have a whole story written out for you. Now we are going to give a job here in the office helping me with paperwork. And you will get to live here in the barracks. But until we get all of that situated, you are going to have to stay with me. I have an extra room, and you are welcome to stay there longer if you wish. But seeing as though you are my cousin, it would make sense for you to be visiting there first before we put you in the barracks." I nodded.

"Thank you sir, I appreciate all of this."

"No problem. You can spend the day in the library if you would like, but that is really all the entertainment I can offer until we get more of this straightened out. I don't want you walking around the city by yourself yet."

"Library? Where!" I clasped my hands together in excitement and he and Hawkeye smiled.

"Fullmetal, could you take her?" He nodded and I followed him out of the office. He dropped me off at the door and then mumbled something about seeing his brother and stalked off. Such a sourpuss. I walked into the library and explained to the girl at the desk that I was Colonel Mustang's cousin and that he had forgotten I was coming to visit.

"So you see, I need to spend the day here because he has provided my with no entertainment all day and refuses to let me wander around the city." She looked way of letting me in.

"I will have to call the Colonel." I nodded and waited as she called his office and briefly talked to him. "Alright, I have the all clear. Have fun!" she smiled brightly and buried her head in a big heavy book. I walked around looking at all of the different books, trying to find something I could read. I thought that I would be able to find something similar to what my libraries at home had, but this thought was soon dashed as I realized that most of the books were about alchemy and the work of the state alchemists. Nevertheless, I pulled some books off the shelf and proceeded to do what I enjoyed most: read like there was no tomorrow. Soon it was dark and the librarian was telling me we had to leave. Fullmetal was walking towards the door.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked me as we started the walk back to the Colonel's office.

"Yes. A lot of what I read seemed familiar, but there is no way I would have encountered that material anywhere before." He nodded and we continued in silence. Once we got to the office, he stopped. I could tell he didn't get along with the Colonel, so I smiled and thanked him.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For taking me to the library. And picking me up. I don't care if you were told to, I still appreciate it." He smiled himself and walked off. I went into the office and saw the Colonel grabbing his coat.

"Perfect timing. Did you have a good time in the library?"

"Yes, very much." He smiled a little bit. It was obvious he was unsure how to act around me, understandable since he was more or less thrown into the father role. "Thank you for everything. Everyone here has been so nice. Minus the whole throwing me in jail thing, but I'm going to say that was you using your better judgment in case I was a threat to your country."

"You can't blame me for being wary." He chuckled as we walked out. "I don't live far from here, I usually walk. I like to walk as much as possible, lets me see the city more often." The night was cool but still warm enough for me to be without a jacket. I'm assuming the Colonel's jacket was more a formality than it was a necessity. "Here we go." We came to the end house of a row of homes. We opened the door and he hung his jacket up. "Now first, you can call me Roy when we are at home. I dislike the constant use of formalities. Second, I will show you to your new room." He seemed happy to have me, since he lived alone I can only imagine he got lonely.

The room was bare; white walls, wood floor. There was a bed in the corner and a desk in another. There was a small wardrobe and two windows. It was perfect. A place to call my own that I didn't have to share with a bunch of other kids. Somewhere I could keep clean and the way I liked. Without knowing it, Roy had given me the one thing I had always wanted. I just had to travel to another universe to find it.

"It's perfect." I said, walking in and looking around. There was a lamp on the desk, which Roy lit with a snap of his gloved finger. My eyes grew wide as I saw him shimmy the glove off and put it in his pocket.

"There is a lot to tell you, but I don't think that's a very good bedtime story." I nodded. "I've asked for some time off tomorrow. Riza will join us, we'll buy you some things for your room and some clothing. Then you will start your job."

"Sounds good to me!" we decided on take out for dinner, but soon realized I had no idea what kind of food I'd like. Xingese sounded pretty much the same as Chinese so we opted for that until I learned more about the culture and the different food in the city. Judging by all of the take out menus, Roy was a full fledged bachelor. I would have to offer to cook sometimes as payment for my stay.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up early and made some breakfast for myself and Roy before I woke him up. As I suspected he was like a zombie in the morning, and ate with me speaking only in a series of grunts as he shovel the food in his mouth. He did put his dishes in the sink before padding back upstairs. I presume to get dressed and finish waking up. I was already dressed and ready to go so I patiently waited downstairs. I quick cleaned our plates and put them away before he came back down. He was wearing a white button up shirt and black slacks. It was nice to see him out of the dress.

"Good morning." I said as he grabbed more coffee.

"Good morning. Great breakfast. Sorry, I didn't sleep well. I'm just not a morning person." The door opened and Hawkeye walked in.

"Let's face things Roy, you really aren't an any time of the day person if it involves work." she smiled at me. "Ready to go kids?" Roy seemed to dislike this comment a great deal but he did not argue with her. I made a mental note to start keeping track of all the reasons why I liked Hawkeye. "First order of business is some furniture for your room."

"I don't need anything like that. The room is perfectly fine."

"Then perhaps some extra sheets?" Roy suggested. "Surely you don't enjoy the plain white sheets."

"If you want me to get them, but the white doesn't bother me." I really didn't love the white, but he was already doing so much for me I thought it would be awful if I demanded anything.

"Sheets it is!" Roy was now fully awake, and enjoying this process a great deal. While he bounded around each store and marketplace, it gave Riza and I some quality time to talk.

"I'm still not sure what is going on with your situation. Fullmetal seems to have a plan, and he and Roy are having some meetings this week. You will learn all about their meetings when you start, but as a warning if they are in the same room I would advise you are not. And if I am not already present, make sure to get me there."

"Do they hate each other?" I asked her as we went in a store to buy me some clothing.

"No. they act like it, and I think to a certain level Fullmetal resents Roy for some choices he made, but I do think they respect each other."

"Do you two want food? I can grab us lunch!" it was at this point that I contemplated retracting my statement when I first saw Roy in his blue military garb. Perhaps he is, after all a tranny. Or at least someone who dabbles in the noble past time of cross dressing. Because as he stood in front of with bags in each hand and a huge smile I was able to picture him wearing a real dress and shopping with the girls. This image made me giggle, and I tried to cover it up as well as I could, but Riza caught on to the general gist of what I found amusing. Soon we were both laughing full out, with Roy standing looking at us like we were on drugs.

"That would be lovely Roy. You can pick!" Roy went off to find us lunch and Riza and I went to find a nice place to sit down. We had taken the bags from Roy in hopes that he could redeem some manly qualities in himself before he returned. Otherwise I might not ever be able to look at him with a straight face again. And not to mention seeing him in the blue military dress I was sure to lose it every time I saw him at work. Lunch was simple sandwiches, and the rest of the day was getting me used to the city and the money and how things worked, as well as picking up some more clothing and personal affects.

"Tomorrow you start work as my secretary. I think I'll have Riza brief you on it, since she is the one in charge of most of your duties at this point. She will be delighted to hear she no longer has to be the one in charge of my paperwork. In the morning we went through the same routine as the day before, then headed off to the office. There I met the rest of his staff, whose names I can only recall a few of. Then Riza sat me down and plopped a tall stack of paper on my desk.

"Most of this a monkey can figure out. It isn't that Roy cannot do paperwork, he simply refuses to. It's boring to him and he isn't likely to do anything that bores him. It is one of his downfalls as a soldier. He feels he is beyond fallowing protocol." I smiled a little. "You however are not beyond anything, and will follow and rules and regulations. While you learn the finer points of filing paperwork, I will give you the guide that helped me learn as well. You will refer to this guide whenever you question something." I nodded and looked around the room, where everyone else was working. "I do not suggest asking any of them. After this stack is done you usually have to check over their work." She sighed. "It might seem like stupid, pointless, and thankless but they do appreciate it. When something comes up and he needs some of them to leave with him, it will become imperative you know this job. The paperwork keeps the rest of them on track." Riza leaned in so only I could hear the last part. "Otherwise they worry about the others until they become completely useless." She smiled and walked off, and I started on my paperwork. By lunch I had only finished a small portion and was feeling very down on myself. I walked off to the mess hall to grab something to eat when I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey Lor!" I stopped and turned to see lt. Havoc running towards me. "Didn't want you to eat lunch alone." I smiled and thanked him for his nice thought. "Of course. Everyone that works under Mustang is seen as part of a tight knit group. Sometimes people don't like that here, and I don't want you getting dragged into any disagreements." I nodded and we walked in and grabbed lunch. "So, have you made any friends?" he asked. I was unsure how much of my story he was told.

"Not many. I'm still trying to settle in. perhaps after this week of work I will go out and maybe meet some people in town."

"Yeah! Great idea! We should all go out to the bar Friday night!"

"That would be lots of fun. Who are we going to invite?" Havoc went into this huge explanation of who we usually bring to such an event as well as how much each can drink.

"Of course Mustang comes. He is a heavy drinker, but with his little cousin around maybe he'll tone it down." I laughed as Havoc continued to tell me of drunken adventures. Soon I heard the unmistakable voice of Maes Hughes in the room. I couldn't tell where he was in the room, but I knew he would find me in a matter of moments.

"OH LOR THERE YOU ARE!" I cringed a little and Havoc sighed. Hughes bounded over to us, pictures falling out of his hands everywhere. "Oh, it seems as though I've dropped a few pictures. No matter, I always have more of my darling Elysia!" He still had about a hundred in his hands, which he pulled out one by one until we had to head back.

"I'm sorry, but we really have to get going. Duty calls." I tried to pry myself from his grasp, but he got up and followed us out the door.

"No problem. I should really give old Flamey a visit. We can look at more pictures as we go! Oh here is Elysia on her third birthday, isn't she just a doll?" I tried to tune him out as we walked back. If this was only Monday, perhaps I would need that group outing to the bar before Friday rolled around.


	5. Chapter 5

"So how was the first day in the office?" Roy asked me as we got home. We hung up our blue military jackets and headed towards the kitchen. I was exhausted and sat at the table, head drooping, arms at my sides. "Seems like you had a long day. Let's order something for dinner and just relax?" I smiled and nodded and Roy went to the phone and ordered something.

"I don't know how you deal with Hughes all the time. He is what tires me out." Roy laughed and sat down at the table.

"He grows on you. Perhaps like a bit of a parasite sometimes, but never a harmful one. An overly happy one." I raised one eyebrow at Roy. "Bad comparison. But he's my best friend." There was silence for a moment. "Do you mind not really having anyone your age to talk to?"

"Not really. Havoc is pretty young. I ate lunch with him today. I would talk to Edward more, but I don't think he likes me very much."

"Be easy on Fullmetal. He is just trying to figure out how you got here. It may not seem like it, but it could be a matter of national security. I mean, as far as we knew, the person you described seeing was thought to be dead. And if he isn't dead we have a very big problem on our hands."

"Was he bad?" Roy explained to me about the previous battle with homunculi, and that me meeting Bradley was not good. After I was scared beyond belief the doorbell rang, announcing our food. I jumped at the sound and cowered in the kitchen until Roy got the food.

"Don't worry. Fullmetal is on it. I am going to meet with him tomorrow to talk about what he and Al have found. If you want, you can come too. It does after all, pertain to you." I nodded and we ate in silence. I went to my room and just fell asleep, a dreamless sleep. It was a nice break from my hectic day. In the morning I was not the first to rise. Roy had already made toast and coffee and was waiting for me.

"Sorry I didn't wake up!" he smiled as we finished up and left.

"We will meet with Fullmetal after lunch. Until then try to get more paperwork done." Roy was not in an awfully chipper mood, which set me on edge for most of the day. Like the day before, I ate lunch with Havoc. He carried most of the conversation due to my mind being elsewhere, but he didn't seem to mind. He was a very nice guy, dare I go as far to say my only friend here. We walked back chatting about the upcoming trip to the bar, which we were both very excited for. Once we got back, I saw Fullmetal and Alphonse already in Roy's office. Riza saw me and let me in. the tension in the room was thick, and no one looked pleased. Roy sighed. "It seems as though Fullmetal here has found proof that Bradley is not only alive, but back in this world. We are unaware of his location, but he has no idea he brought you back with him."

"Is that a good thing? That he doesn't know I'm here?"

"Yes, very good. In fact we were just talking about how we could make sure that things stay that way. You see, when you traveled through the gate you picked up all of the necessary information to become a great alchemist. Both Ed and Al have this ability as well. If Bradley knew, you could be turned into a weapon for him. He cannot get his hands on you."

"How do we prevent that? And how can I be used as a weapon if I don't know enough about alchemy?"

"Well, we don't know what to do with you yet, but until we figure that out, The boys will be giving you lessons. It is important that you know how to use the power in case anyone ever comes after you." I nodded. "It will start this evening at the house. We will also discuss further where we are going to keep you." I nodded again and was ushered back to my desk, where I tried to continue working. Havoc was sending me glances, trying to get the scoop, but my mind was reeling with all the information that I couldn't say anything to him. I wouldn't even know where to start. The rest of the day went quickly and quietly, and the Roy and I rushed back to the house. Riza was on the lookout for anyone who didn't belong, and when Ed and Al arrived, it was through the basement.

"I think she should keep going to work. keep up to front that she is who we claim she is. If anyone figures it out then I say we move her." Edward sat down on the chair in the living room.

"Where?" Riza asked.

"Somewhere that Bradley would never think of looking. The last place Roy would hide someone. Or you for that matter, he knows you well."

"Then the same goes for any hiding spot you two pick." Roy piped in.

"I say we bring her to the countryside. Bradley would assume you'd keep her close, and if he checks there first we know he'll check obscure towns second. We could easily hide her in a place like Reisembool for a while if need be."

"I will consider it. For now, just teach her." Roy looked like he had a headache, and he and Riza both left the room.

"We know you went to the library and took out the basic books. We just have to figure out how to tap into the information you got when crossing over here."

"Brother, don't you think there should be one thing she saw that would trigger her to remember it all?" Al said, looking up at his brother, who was pacing behind the couch.

"Yeah, there should be something. But I don't know what would jog her memory. You were easy, I'm your brother, no one knows you better."

"Perhaps a memory of before?" We tried all sorts of memories, and nothing was working. I was trying to remember things, and then Edward said the magic word.

"Stupid Hoheneim. I wish he was here to be useful." My eyes went wide. "What did I say?"

"Hohenheim." I whispered as memories came flooding back to me. I remembered the gate, and everything I learned in it. I knew all of the tricks and secrets to alchemy.

"What about Hohenheim? How do you know him?" Edward was glued in to me, hanging on every word.

"He was a teacher of mine. In school." I replied. "I don't know why that was the word to job everything. I just feel like he was a big part of my life all of a sudden."

"What did he look like?"

"Oh it was weird, he wasn't like any other teacher I have ever had. He had long blonde hair that he always worse in this messy ponytail. He had a beard and a mustache and wore glasses. He dressed like he thought it was still the middle of the century too. He was a good teacher, but a lot of people thought he was arrogant."

"That's because he was." Edward's words hissed out through gritted teach. His fist was clenched as he got up and walked around the room. "I don't know how he managed to live, but he doesn't sound like he's aging there either. Perhaps it is the curse he'll have to live with forever."

"What is going on?" I asked, looking from Edward to Alphonse.

"Hohenheim. Von Hoheheim is out father." I suddenly saw the resemblance between Edward and my teacher. But how could it be? "He is a long story, involving lots of things you haven't learned and don't know. Hopefully we will never have to tell that whole story, but I'm hoping that he stays there and had nothing to do with this. If Bradley followed him over there in hopes of finding the stone, then the Bradley we killed wasn't really Bradley at all. And if Hohenheim really was helping him then there will be serious hell to pay if I ever see that man again." I had never seen Edward so angry. Granted, I have spent so very little time with the Elrics, but still enough to know he'd snap at Roy, but never was that serious about his anger. Alphonse seemed worried but also intrigued. I could tell he wanted to know more about his father in the world I was from, but I wanted to hear more from Edward. I wanted to let him know that his father had nothing to do with the mess I have found myself in, but there was a vibe coming off of him that told me to let him be angry until he cooled off on his own.

"Let's do some simple transmutations!" Alphonse was trying hard to lift the mood, but I could tell that Edward was already lost in his own world. So for the next few hours Al and I practiced a lot of simple things together. Al was a good teach and a really cute kid. We learned a lot about each other while Edward sat in a corner and occasionally went outside. Eventually they left, and I told Roy and Riza about everything. The three of us sitting at the table talking about our days made it really seem like I had an entirely new family over here, a family where everyone was interested in each other's days. It was a nice change of pace and definitely cemented my belief that I belonged in this world, not the other.


	6. Chapter 6

It was finally Friday. I was anxious as the clock counted down the minutes before I could leave. As soon as it was time I was out of there, rushing Roy out and home. Once home I showered and put on normal clothing, and then urged Roy to do the same.

"Too bad the Elric brothers can't come with." I said as we left the house, walking down the street to the local bar.

"Oh just because they aren't of age, they still come. They are state alchemists, they kind of get a free pass. Besides, Edward is almost of age."

"Oh." I was surprised that they were allowed to go drink, but also pleased. I had grown pretty close to Al this week, and when Ed wasn't in a sour mood, he was fun too. Although Ed was almost ALWAYS in some sort of sour mood. Al told me there was good reason for the mood, but I have yet to find anything for him to be so pissy about.

"YAY I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE!" I was immediately tackled by Hughes, who had either been the first to arrive or chose to pregame before hitting the bar. I pried him off and told him Roy wanted to see pictures of Elysia. Before Roy caught on to what I said I slipped out of his arm's reach and went on my search for everyone else. Soon I found Havoc, Breda, Al, and Ed sitting at a table.

"Lor!" Havoc greeted, sloshing his beer around. Al rolled his eyes a bit. I smiled and sat down.

"You should put your beer down." I told him. He listened a little enthusiastically, and slammed his beer on the table, which made a giant mess. Breda giggled and Ed crossed his arms over his chest, mumbling incoherently. I'm sure he was being a pissy munchkin, but I chose to ignore it. I had been looking forward to this night all week. "Does anyone else want a drink? I'll head over to the bar."

"I would like another beer!" Havoc announced.

"ME TOO." Hughes flung himself over to us, Roy in tow. Riza was behind them, laughing to herself. Everyone was crowded around the table, wanting more drinks.

"I'll go with." Riza followed me to the bar where we placed our orders and waited. "So what made you want to go out drinking with this motley crew?" Riza asked.

"I just thought it would be fun. I don't really have friends outside of Roy, and he's more like a dad, not a friend." Riza seemed amused by this. "I mean Al and I are kind of friends, but that's only happened because he is teaching me alchemy." We grabbed the drinks and headed back.

"Don't worry, just give it time." I nodded. I handed Havoc and Breda their beers, Al his soda, and Ed his gin and tonic. I took my beer and sat next to Havoc on the end of the booth.

"So Lor, is Central everything you imagined?" Breda seemed to slur his words just a touch.

"Yes, it's really nice here." I replied.

"Yeah it is. It's nice to work somewhere with such pretty ladies!" Riza shot laser eyes to Havoc, who shrunk back in his seat a little. He glanced to me, as if to check for a glare. I just smiled awkwardly. "Good to know SOMEONE doesn't mind a compliment." Havoc put his arm around my shoulder. I judged this to be a sign of a long night, so I tossed the rest of my beer back.

"Lor, I think it is time for BED." Roy was obviously a little tipsy, but still with the rest of the world. To no surprise Riza held her own, drinking a little more than Roy and still standing perfectly, not breaking her cold glare at Havoc. Hughes was basically passed out, and we had to call Armstrong in to carry him home for us. Breda and Havoc were both fairly far gone, though no one else had quite reached Hughes level of drunkenness. Al was completely and utterly sober, supporting almost all of Ed's weight as we left the bar. Ed was a quiet drunk, much to my surprise.

"Does he get like this often?" I asked Al as we walked into the cool air outside.

"More often than I'd like to admit. Though tonight he was really antisocial." I nodded and glanced at Ed, who was still somewhat aware we were talking about him, but too plastered to care.

"I'm only like this because she fucked me over." He told me, shaking his finger in my face.

"Brother, now is not the time. Finger down, let's go home." Al turned and smiled to everyone. "Goodnight everyone! See you bright and early Monday morning!" Al turned away and half walked, half dragged his older brother in the direction of their apartment. My walk home with Roy was quiet, except for an occasional 'get back here' when he would start to wander off.

"Roy, I'm going to get some groceries. I'll be home in a little while." Roy merely grunted, still not fully recovered from the previous night. I grabbed a bag and headed out, looking to buy some fresh food. It was a nice day out, and as I was finishing my shopping I decided to take a long route home so I could enjoy the morning a little longer.

"There you are." I stopped and turned to see an older man staring at me.

"Excuse me sir, do I know you?" I asked. Glancing around I saw no one else in this area of the park, and that made me nervous.

"You are the girl I took with me through the gate." I stopped myself from showing any emotion.

"That what? I'm really sorry mister but I think you have the wrong girl." He smiled.

"Oh I am so very sorry. Must have confused you with another girl." His smile seemed to be hiding something. I just hoped he didn't see through my lies. I had to get home. "I should escort you home, a young lady should not be out alone."

"No, that's alright. I'm probably heading back to the market. I've forgotten eggs!" I laughed a nervous laugh, high pitched and hollow. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow and I headed off in the direction of the market. I didn't doubt for a moment he wasn't following me so I went about my business buying eggs (which we of course didn't need). Eventually I wandered back to the house when I was sure no one was following me. I locked the door and drew the blinds. Roy was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and looked up at me.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, though he already knew something was up.

"Bradley found me." I said. Roy's eyes grew large. "I was walking home through a park when he stopped me. he knows it's me, even though I tried to lie. I don't know if he followed me back."

"Get dressed in one of my uniforms. Pack a bag of essentials." I did as I was told and soon we were walking quickly to headquarters. Once we got there Roy went to make a phone call. "Yes, you know the plan." He hung up and walked over to me. "I'm sorry this is happening so fast. But Edward is going to take you somewhere safe until we get Bradley taken care of."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. Edward has picked somewhere. Only he knows." I nodded. Soon Edward arrived, not dressed in his usual outfit.

"She has to change." Roy nodded and I changed into some of the clothing I brought. Ed then brought me into the bathroom, where he filled up a sink with water and added something to it to dye my hair. Saying goodbye to Roy was actually hard for me.

"I know you've only been here a week or so, but don't get hurt kiddo." I nodded and hugged him. I knew if I spoke I'd cry. We left immediately, not looking back and not taking any main roads. The first few hours were silent, but after that I guess we both got bored so we started asking questions about the other. Just basic questions to get to know each other on a basic level. neither one of us had ever really spent time getting to know one another. Ed was always in a foul mood when I was around, and I could never figure out why.

By nightfall, we had learned a lot about each other, and even decided we got along very well and wondered why no one ever made this connection before.

"So after you drop me off wherever it is we're going, are you heading back?"

"I'll have too. The others need me. You will be safe." I nodded, my eyes going back to the fire he made to keep us warm. Just as I had settled down in a new place I was being ripped away. "We will defeat Bradley and get you back." I looked at Edward and smiled.

"I believe you. It still won't change the fact that I am sad to leave everyone."

"Understandable. Going to miss Colonel Bastard huh?"

"Yes. He isn't so bad. You should give him a chance. He likes you very much. He always speaks very highly of you."

"I know. I don't hate him as much as everyone thinks, but I'm so used to acting like this with him it's hard to change." There was silence for a moment. "He is the closest thing I've ever had to a father. I mean I know my dad, but we didn't get along and I truly hated him. I don't hate Mustang."

"He thinks of you as a son. He really does think you are going to do great things." Edward smiled.

"The first great thing I do is make sure Bradley is gone, and get you home." I nodded, about to doze off. Edward draped his jacket over me and I curled into a ball. When I woke up birds were chirping and the sun was shining on me. I sat up and realized that Edward must have carried me. he was also nowhere to be seen. My bag was next to me and I picked it up and dusted myself off. There was a town not far from where I was laying, so I decided that is where Edward meant for me to go.

"Hello there young lady, may I help you?" I had to think of a story and fast.

"I am looking for a new place to settle down and start afresh." I told him.

"You look like a city girl. Where did you come from?"

"Central Amestris." I replied. His eyes grew wide at this. I rocked from one foot to another nervously. I heard a metal clanging around in my pocket and shoved my hand in, taking out Edward's military watch. On the back was something engraved.

_Sorry, but it's best if you don't know the way home. I'll be back_


	7. Chapter 7

"A state Alchemist?" he took me into his home saying he would be glad to give me room and board for as long as I needed. His wife and children all looked at me like I was some sort of god. Now I had to figure out how to make myself look like a great accomplished alchemist.

"So, what was your specialty?" I put down the last plate and turned to Mrs. Sprigs. She put the plate of food for dinner in the middle of the table and smiled at me.

"Experimental alchemy. Kind of hush hush, even within military walls."

"Oh, was it dangerous?"

"Very. I decided to take a break from all the work and become a bit of a traveler. Clear out my mind to get a new look at some of the things I was doing."

"Oh, that's interesting. Well, if you can't tell us I won't press for information, but everyone in town is very interested in alchemy. We don't have a single alchemist here. I'm sure your services could be employed to do some things around town." I smiled and nodded. Dinner was lovely, and the guest room they gave me was much bigger than I had back at Roy's. the next day I was brought to work with Mr. Sprigs, who wanted me to go to work to see if there was anything I could do as a job. I had insisted on doing something useful around town.

"I'd really rather the information that I am a state alchemist stay within the house." I told him as we walked through town.

"Of course. We won't tell a soul." He smiled. I looked around town and noticed there was a lot of disrepair to the buildings. Like a storm had recently come through.

"Has a storm been through recently?"

"Yes, as you can see it caused quite a bit of damage."

"I could fix all of that." Suddenly my mind was filled with images and symbols. It was all the information I'd need to fix the houses. "I just need a few raw materials, but I can fix the houses up. It might not be the fastest job, since it's been a while since I've done such basic alchemy, but it's a start."

"Let's talk it over with the boys." We walked into a building that was obviously a carpenter's place. There was loads of blueprints and raw materials and tools laying everywhere. At the table in the middle of the room, 3 men sat around a table, in a heated argument over stone. "Men, meet Lor Haflinger. She showed up last night. She is a wandering alchemist. She is staying with me and the family, and she has offered her services to help fix up the town."

"You can handle all of that little lady?" I smirked and looked at the table, which was missing a leg and had cracks all over it. I picked up some scraps of wood and placed them on the table. Then I clapped my hands and touched the table. The leg grew back and the hole and chips were filled. The new table was glossy and perfect.

"I think I can handle it." They all seemed to be impressed with this. We spent the rest of the day walking around town going over what materials were needed for each house. I couldn't pull them out of thin air, but once we had everything I could rebuild it in a matter of minutes, saving the men from months of labor.

"Lor, you have a letter." I put my bag down at the door and grabbed the letter. I flopped down on the couch and looked at it. No address, no name besides my own. Whoever sent this didn't want me to know who they were or where they lived. I opened it and took out the letter inside. It was really short.

_He's gone. Come home._

I stared blankly at the words in front of me. could it be that they had finally won? I had been looking forward to this day for months, and now that it was here I could hardly believe it. I re read the simple words a few times before smiling. But then something dawned on me. hadn't Edward said when all was done he would come and get me? I would think he would sign his name as well. Also, it would be more like Roy to say come home, since I did live with him. Something wasn't adding up. This letter was not sent from Edward. I put the letter away, telling everyone it was mismarked and I threw it out. I had to figure out who would send this letter to try to get me to come home.

"Lor, there is someone at the door for you." I was snapped out of my thinking and walked to the door. "This is odd Lor. First the letter now this man, I think something may be up." I looked at the man and almost fainted. Standing in front of me was Bradley.

"Lor, it has been a while. I presume you got my letter today?" I nodded. "I just couldn't wait. I had to come get you myself."

"Lor, what does he mean? Does this man have to do with your past?"

"Yes, it seems as though I'm being called back. no worries though, I'll make sure to send someone out to help with further repairs as soon as I return to Central."

"We'll miss you dear." I hugged everyone and gathered my few things. I left most of it behind. I scribbled a letter for Edward in case they came to retrace my steps. I was sure I wasn't coming back. I also left a quick note describing my situation to my foster family, in case they ever snooped in my room. After that I hurried out of the house to Bradley's waiting car.

"I thought for sure you would put up a fight." He said as we climbed in. I clutched my bag tight to my chest, glaring at him. "But I got nothing. I was all ready to battle too."

"Where is everyone?" I asked. He smiled.

"Everyone is at Central. Alive and well I can assure you."

"Then how did you find me?"

"It seems that your friends at Central are particularly bad at finding and killing the big bad wolf. I have taken it upon myself to get you so we can speed this whole thing up. Here's the deal Lor. I need you to re open the gate and bring myself, some followers, and some machines to your world. From there what we do will be un important to you, since we will have killed you to get through the gate. If you agree, no one gets harmed."

"No one? I find that very hard to believe Bradley." I spat. He chuckled and the skin on my arm crawled, he was one creepy guy.

"Not a single person will be hurt. In fact, we can do this without them even knowing."

"I need some sort of collateral. How do I know you won't just hurt them later? What if your plan doesn't work?"

"Oh, it'll work little girl, and you will help me do it. We've got a ways to travel, but I would like some silence to think about all of the havoc I will wreck in your world." I narrowed my eyes and tried to think of and escape plan. There had to be a way out once we were closer to Central. I'm sure I could find my way back to everyone before he caught up with me. As I hatched a plan, we drove in silence. I was to tense to sleep, so as we approached Central I got my things ready. All I needed was Edward's watch and I would be fine. I clapped my hands and touched the car, creating a fire in the engine. Bradley was thrown off which gave me enough time to get out of the car and create some hurdles for him to overcome before finding me. I ran as fast as I could and then backtracked to throw him off my trail. Once in the city I changed outfits and made my way right to command. I threw my hood up and flashed my watch to get in.

"colonel Mustang, there is a young alchemist to see you." I pushed the soldier aside and went into his office. Riza and Edward were there. I locked the door.

"He found me." I didn't dare take the hood off. Edward's eyes grew wide and everyone got pale. "He had me too, but I distracted him. I'm almost positive he will come here in search of me. he has a plan to use me to re open the gate and go back through with an army to take over my world. We have to stop him. I know where it's going to happen. If you meet us there we can destroy him. When the gate opens, he'll be weak and we can strike then." Everyone was silent.

"I can't believe you evaded him. You have no training." Roy spoke softly. With everyone watching through the glass, he was unable to hug me. I could tell he wanted to, and it was killing me as well.

"I have always been self sufficient and strong willed."

"You sound like another young alchemist we have." Rize smiled at Edward. We quickly came up with a plan, and Roy made the phone calls he needed. Then I was to return to the streets in my old clothes and wait for Bradley to find me. Edward and Armstrong would be close behind. From there we would all travel to Bradley's secret location and then we would strike. Roy gave me a pair of his ignition gloves, and a small stone that was used the first time through this, to amplify my moves. I slipped everything into a pocket, except for the stone, which I held in my mouth. If need be I could swallow it.


End file.
